Bear River students woke up early on August 16, brushed their teeth, put on new clothes, ate breakfast, and set off for the new school year. For some Bruins, there were mixed emotions.

Jazzlyn Jasper, a new junior, is looking forward to the new perks of being an upperclassmen.

“It feels nice, because I get an upperclassmen locker, and all my classes are pretty good, so yeah,” she said.

On the other hand, Skyler Shallow, a junior, feels like he got the short end of the stick.

“I feel like I’m not (an upperclassmen) since they put 10th grade on my schedule, and I have a lower classmen locker,” he said. “Oh, and I’m in some lower classmen classes, so am I really an upperclassmen?”

New freshmen discussed their thoughts about Bear River’s environment.

“It’s pretty good,” said Savannah Procter, a freshman. “Everybody is super nice so far, so I don’t really have anything to complain about.”

Micah Brown, a freshman, agrees with Procter’s view.

“I like the friendliness and there’s not a lot of bullying here,” Brown said.

Bear River’s Principal Dr. Amy Besler expressed how she feels about the new school year.

“I could not be more excited for this school year to unfold,” she said. “I have a very strong feeling that this is going to be the year that unifies our student body and staff on a whole new level. Part of that goes back to our shared Core Values. I have never before felt such a common vision and ideal for what it means to be a Bruin. I am thrilled that our students are embracing these ideas with such enthusiasm and I can’t wait to see the many ways they will demonstrate our values throughout the year — in the classrooms, on the fields and courts, on the stage, in the hallways, and in the community. Our staff and students are focused on excellence and working harder than ever before. I see great things in our future at Bear River for the 2017-2018 school year and beyond.”

Dr. Besler went on to talk about what she wants to accomplish this year.

“The first few weeks are all about laying the foundation for a school year that is meaningful, memorable, engaging, challenging, supportive, and inspirational,” she said. “We are working hard to ensure that every student is making meaningful connections with adults and peers on campus, gets engaged in activities beyond the classroom, and demonstrates creativity, curiosity, grit, empathy, integrity, and a sense of community in everything they do.”